To Catch a Firefly
by HobbyHobbs
Summary: Track the action as the Joes are confronted by a series of Sabotages.
1. Chapter 1, Part I Somewhere in a Jungle

Author's Note: This is my first attempt at fan fiction writing. I hope not to disappoint, and this story will be an ever-evolving piece centered on action. I'll try not to take too many liberties, and the occasional use of colorful language will be used.

Hasbro owns the characters and other creative pieces used in the story.

Chapter One, Part One of To catch a Firefly.

_Time Now _

Tracer rounds begin to light up the night underneath the canopy of the South American jungle.

"That's not what I had in mind, Bazooka!" Recondo shouts over the gunfire now pouring through the jungle towards their position. When discussing the options for creating a diversion to gain entry into the building One Hundred and Fifty feet in front of them, Bazooka acted while the others discussed the various options available. The result was a hole in the building where the door used to be, with flames all around it, and bullets travelling into and out of it.

Bazooka was the only one in his three-man team that caught the hand signal that Firefly was on the move boarding the Cobra Water Moccasin to the rear of the building. That signal meant that Cutter had the Hovercraft and his team ready to intercept. The objective to capture the building and all occupants inside now became critical.

What Bazooka lacks in emotion in his speaking voice he makes up for it with volume. "We got the signal to engage!" he said.

"Why didn't you just say so?" Gung-Ho asked.

"I did." Bazooka pats his Anti-Armor shoulder fired weapon, "With this."

As Recondo, Gung-Ho and Bazooka maintain a defensive position with a visual on the targeted building, the natural noise of the jungle began to become more audible than the sounds of small arms fire. When the gunfire finally stops, radio silence is broken.

"This is Team Alpha 6. Building is Secure. Status Green. All teams report. Over." It was Stalker; his team was inside the building.

"This is Team Bravo 6. Status Green. Over." Beachhead reports, positioned on the flank of the building.

"This is Team Charlie 6. Status Green. Over." Mutt reports, positioned on the other flank.

"This is Team Delta 6. Status Green. Over." Gung-Ho reports, positioned to the front of the building.

After a moment, Stalker responds "Echo, what is your team's status?", but receives no reply.

Stalker barks into his comms piece, "Beachhead, move your team to Cutter's location! Mutt's team move to the building to handle all prisoners! Gung-Ho, secure the perimeter with your team! All teams go!"

A Tele-Viper team at an outpost two clicks from the Joe's position at the building prepares to break their own radio silence.

Back inside the building, Mutt's team is securing six enemy prisoners while Breaker is preparing to receive data taken from the prisoners back at the Joe Operating Center located at an airfield several clicks out.

"Six prisoners. Anything back on any of them yet, Breaker". Stalker says with all attention focused on the captured group.

"Nothing so far in terms of known Cobra operatives, and a couple are linked to Drug Cartels here locally with nothing tying them back to the States".

"This was supposed to be bigger than some out-of-jurisdiction covert DEA operation. Keep me posted."

The last prisoner being secured by Mutt as this takes place, motions a clenched fist with a single twist of the wrist towards Stalker. This, before his hands are bound. Stalker then radios for another status update, and all teams report back 'Clear' except for Cutter's and now Beachhead's.

Back at the airfield, Breaker was still waiting to report back to Stalker. Joes there were still analyzing the intel collected on not only the prisoners, but the enemy KIAs back at the building and its surrounding area. Back in the building, Mutt informs Stalker the prisoners were prepared to be moved. Beachhead and his team were still moving towards Cutter and the Hovercraft – in radio silence. He then gets a visual of the silent and motionless vehicle on the water.

Beachhead motions to Shipwreck and Torpedo to investigate the Hovercraft while he secured the location from the bank. The noises of the jungle are now overwhelming in the otherwise calmness of the area. Beachhead's focus is more visual than audio because of it. There are moments when his trust in his fellow Joes comes into question, even during a mission. But not this time, there is something at stake here, and he knows his team is acting accordingly because of it. The mission – to this point – has only been a partial success, with the primary target not secured, and a portion of the operation now unaccounted for with Cutter's team. Beachhead is only glancing towards the Hovercraft, until he gets a visual on his guys. His focus on the entire area around him is the due vigilance needed to ensure their successful movement.

He saw something, maybe even heard something in the darkness across the water. It was brief, and it could have been a god-forsaken creature of the jungle moving in the water. But it was gone, and he affords himself a moment to glance back at the Hovercraft. He sees his team begin to board it. _What was __that__ in the water?_ – He asked himself and he goes to look again.

From the direction of the building, Beachhead turns suddenly with his weapon drawn in response to hearing approaching footsteps. His right index finger begins to squeeze the trigger when his weapon is stomped down and his body is lifted from the prone position to a standing position. In a loud, whispered, commanding tone, he hears the sound of Stalker's voice where he had just heard the approaching footsteps.

"If I had brought anyone other than Snake Eyes with me, I'd be dead right now, Beachhead."

With his knife clutched and held at Snake-Eyes throat and the Commando's hand holding Beachhead's arm from reaching his throat, Beachhead turns to respond.

As he lowers his knife, "I'd say so. But you outta be more cautious than to send me on a mission and then try to get a front row seat without a ticket". Then Beachhead re-secures his rifle.

"Next time you engage in radio silence, you tell people first".

That didn't sit too well with Beachhead. But this wasn't the time to address it. But at least it came from another Ranger, he thought.

Beachhead, Stalker, and Snake-Eyes all with a visual on Shipwreck and Torpedo are awaiting those two to return to their position on the banks of the blackened jungle river.

"Not a sign of any of them, they're just . . . gone" says Shipwreck, short of breath from the effort. "If Cutter had her runnin' in silent mode, he shut her down completely for some reason".

Cutter didn't shut the Hovercraft down, they all knew that. At best, Cutter and his team are on someone's ass. The worst they could hope for was someone was on their ass. No one wanted to think that something worse than that had happened.

Flint was walking into the main cell of the Joes Operating Center at the airfield, and exclaims "Duke! The air units are ready to deploy!" Duke acknowledges Flint's status update and turns to Breaker seated in front of him and orders: "Breaker, tell Stalker I want the mission to move forward to the Rally Point for extraction. It will be faster if they can get there in the Hovercraft, preferably with Cutter's team. But the priority is to get the captured as well as themselves back here in one piece"

"And what if Cutter's team is not with them?" Flint asked.

"Flint, you're going to escort the Extraction Team and take field command with a unit to locate them, if they are not with Stalker's group."

"Let's get Stalker and his boys back here; they've been in the field long enough. If there needs to be a team formed to sweep that area, let it be our fresh Joes." states Lady Jaye.

"I was thinking the same thing, Duke. Once the extraction is complete, if Cutter is not there – we'll find them, while Stalker and those prisoners make their way back here." Flint never sounded so assured, but he always sounded that way.

"Breaker, inform Stalker of the mission. Flint you're launching the Extraction Team in five mikes. Add Airborne and Ripcord to you and Lady Jaye . . ." and before Duke could finish what he was about to say he was interrupted.

"And Me! Now let's get moving!" says Scarlett as she makes her way out of the room with a purpose.

"Stalker! This is Breaker! Over."


	2. Chapter 1, Part II  The Perfect Command

The Cobra Saboteur having recently dismissed Copperhead and his Water Moccasin, patiently awaits Cobra's Master of Disguise. He is on the bank opposite the Joe teams, within a binocular view of the Hovercraft. He looks at his wrist, and sees he is getting a thermal hit, which is approaching him. Appearing to speak to no one, in a barely audible volume he simply states. "Your presence indicates you have handled your part of the operation?"

A voice responds "I have" as Zartan appears from his camouflaged state "Proceed with the operation".

"Are they aware you are no longer in their captivity?"

"Let's find out". Zartan states as he takes out the communication gear that was equipped on Cutter's team. After briefly manipulating the operation of the gear, Firefly picks up the audio from the Joe teams. "Mutt! Where is the sixth prisoner?" Stalker's voice can be heard saying in the transmission. During a pause in the Joe chatter, he receives a transmission from a Tele-viper.

"The Joe operative, the one that was supposed to be in the building and taken captive, the one you were disguised as . . ." begins Firefly.

"Is none of your concern, Firefly." Finishes Zartan.

"I'm merely making sure all loose ends are tied, and we are not hasty in moving forward". Firefly emphasizes this by maintaining intense eye contact through his mask into the eyes of Zartan.

Zartan grins, and says "It is time to move forward".

The area between the building and the Hovercraft is now occupied by the Joes in a complete defensive formation. There is movement of a patrol and the escorted prisoners, shuttling them into the Hovercraft two at a time. The first two are already loaded, and the next two are just about to be escorted out of the building towards the Hovercraft. Barbecue, Mutt, and Tripwire are the only ones at the building still attending to some fires set by Bazooka at the beginning of the operation.

Stalker who is constantly moving overseeing the operation take place, is making his way to the building. He has seen the first four of the prisoners already boarded, and makes his way to collect the remaining Joes and the last two prisoners from the building.

"Hey, Barbecue, are all the fires put out?" asks Stalker, when he is actually telling him to leave them alone, it is time to go.

"They sure are Stalker, ready to move out!" responds Barbecue.

Stalker pauses to receive a transmission from the extraction team, led by Flint. He makes hand signals to Tripwire and Barbecue to fall into the defensive position with the others, while motioning to Gung Ho and his team to get the last two prisoners, and get on the hovercraft.

"Roger Flint. We leave in less than 5 mikes. Over" Stalker says. "Understood. Out".

In the back of the first floor room, near the staircase that leads upstairs is an overturned, thick, wooden table turned over and riddled by the impact of various small arms fire. This is the table Zartan hid behind during the battle. Before Stalker and Snake Eyes had gained control of the room, by killing those who tried to resist, Zartan had a brief last moment to put a listening device on the table. This device would auto-synch and relay any transmissions sent from an electronic device located within 500 meters of it. It can also pick up and relay anything audible with its built-in microphone. Moments after he applied that listening device, he made that single twist of the wrist to Stalker to indicate he was the Joe operative in the building. It was from this device, Firefly could hear Stalker say: "Mutt! Where is the sixth prisoner?"

Mutt sees the fifth prisoner, but none of the others. He responds to Stalker by asking "Is he on the Hovercraft?"

Stalker turns to Gung Ho, and Gung Ho says, "No Mutt. Four loaded. One here. Five accounted for".

Stalker thinking that the sixth, being Chuckles, the GI Joe undercover operative, may have got a change in mission, and that meant he wasn't coming with the rest of the team. No time to find out now, it was time to get on the move, while the getting was good, he thought.

"Load the last prisoner then all Joes begin boarding the hovercraft, people! Move out!" This was a voice command shouted by Stalker for all to hear. Team leaders could be heard echoing the same command to their team members. The defense position began to peel up and start moving towards the Hovercraft.

"_Do you hear that, Firefly? What are you waiting for? Kill them! Kill them All!"_

Firefly lowers the night vision goggles and in a staring trance it appeared, stood on that bank listening to the Joes. He wondered was that the voice in his head? Surely, listening to the Stalker and the Joes, it could have been his head trying to move the operation forward. Was it Zartan? He was standing right next to him, as he listened to the Joes. Zartan could hear them too. Or was it Cobra Commander? That sinister voice is always in Firefly's head. Firefly was not exactly sure who said it, but he was sure it was said. And now he is just waiting. Waiting for the signal. That perfect command and he'll push the button and kill them all.

"Stalker!" Beachhead commands, using Ranger signals. He makes a series of gestures. At first, Stalker is hesitant to respond to them, or even acknowledge them. Beachhead starts to emphatically gesture and Stalker's reaction changes to a quizzical expression; finally there is a moment of realization, and finally complete agreement with the masked Ranger. It probably helped Beachhead's cause that the Silent Commando was right next to him mirroring the gestures at Stalker as well.

The movement the Joes are making through the view of the magnified NVG's suddenly appears to not match the chatter Firefly and Zartan were listening to. For the first time in the operation, Firefly knows there is a glitch. He starts to get anxious, but he is commanding his rationale to control over his emotion. Just in case he thought he should start to look at the practicality of setting up his sniper rifle. In that moment, he receives the intercepted communication he had been waiting for.

"Stalker to Breaker, over. Yeah, listen Breaker, everyone is loaded up. All Joe team members minus Cutter's team, and 5 of the 6 prisoners. But hey, you know what? We can't seem to get the Hovercraft started. Any chance you boys can give us a remotely activated jump start here?"

Moments after that transmission, Zartan fiendishly grins and nods approvingly at Firefly. The device in Firefly's right hand is raised, and as a numbered code is entered into it, the Hovercraft explodes like a Hell fire in the dark jungle on the blackened waters of the river.

"Flint to Duke! Over! I hope I didn't just see what I thought I just seen!"


	3. Chapter 1, Part III The Glow at His Back

Snake-Eyes was one of the closest Joes to the explosion as they scattered into the Jungle prior to Stalker's last sent transmission. So close, that his natural night vision was now burning with the reds, oranges, yellows, and the whites of the explosion. The heat was also an indication of how close he was, as the humidity and mugginess of the Jungle night was blasted away and replaced with the kind of heat he had experienced in Death Valley during training exercises earlier in the year. His last reminder of where he was is the fact he is now tumbling through the air, unaware of his bearings – even for a Ninja. As he attempted to get his feet below his head with the gravity of the fall, the back of his shoulders hit the ground. He slides momentarily, all the bearing he needed to get back to his feet. Deeper into the jungle he sees his fellow Joes, breaking from their cover to get a visual of the explosion. Parts of the jungle are set ablaze by the debris falling from the sky like little comets. By his quick count, he sees a majority of the Joes that were with him prior to the explosion, but his battle instinct told him to turn around. When he did, he realized he was not the closest to the explosion, he was the second closest. The entire situation-at-hand was in perfect clarity for the ninja, as he saw Stalker face down near the shore between him and the burning Hovercraft. There was a man down and that man was his long-time friend. He was also the leader of the mission, a mission now perfectly illustrated by the condition of what is left of the Hovercraft on the river. Snake-Eyes ran to his friend's side in a matter of a few strides.

Stalker was conscious, exchanging his coughing and gasping of air for screams of pain. The screams were short-lived as it was too painful to even scream for the long-time Ranger veteran. For most, it would have been a moment of pause seeing a Joe like Stalker in that kind of condition, but Snake-Eyes moved quickly to ensure the flames were out before going to any kind of first-aid. Stalker then only had a few remaining seconds before he passed out from the pain. In that time he explained to Snake-Eyes that he felt like maybe he broke some ribs, and why he couldn't raise his voice above a labored breath, feeling nothing except for pain. Stalker asked his friend, "How bad is it?" and Stalker could tell by his reaction it was bad. He made one last comment that he was going to get up, and lead the mission to its next objective. Then Stalker lost consciousness.

While Snake-Eyes was at Stalker's side, Beachhead was getting a head count from all team leaders. He came up short by two. He broke out of the vegetation line towards the river bank, when he saw the silhouette of his two fellow Joes. He yells back into the darkness, "Barbecue! Get over here! Now!" Barbecue was passing comments to Bazooka and Mutt about how spectacular the blaze was emanating from the Hovercraft. It was his attempt to keep the situation in a light manner. Upon hearing Beachhead's command, he ran towards his voice in the direction of the fire. He was preparing for extinguishing the flames, thinking it was the reason Beachhead called out for him specifically. By the time he seen where Beachhead was, Beachhead was kneeling down next to Stalker, just like Snake-Eyes was, but on the other side of him. As Barbecue got closer to the three fellow Joes, he dropped to his knees at Stalker's head and said, "Dear God, No." in a completely defeated tone.

"You think you can treat him with the proper first-aid he needs, so we can move?" asked Beachhead.

"Aboslutely, I can. I will" Barbecue affirms. "Get two Joes with the field medic equipment over here. We'll have him ready to move as soon as possible".

Snake-Eyes indicated that he has broken ribs, and Beachhead reminds Barbecue to be prepared to treat him for shock as well, should he regain consciousness. Barbecue snaps back at Beachhead "I KNOW! Just get me the help I need to get Stalker out of here!"

"Right." Beachhead simply responds, thinking that was tolerated insubordination being barked at like that. He makes triple time into the Jungle again. Snake-Eyes stays close to his friend, who is laying belly down, with his head turn to the side.

Flint, Lady Jaye and Scarlett are each flying SkyHawks as they escort Lift-Ticket in his Tomahawk Helicopter and Wild Bill in his Dragonfly towards the Extraction Point. Scarlett makes contact with Snake-Eyes with a modified version of Morse code. She simply states, Cobras Jammed in 45 seconds. Snake-Eyes gives a comforting squeeze to Stalker's hand, and then goes after Beachhead who already has the Joes informed of the situation, and preparing them to move out. He passes Bazooka and Gung-Ho who are making their way towards Barbecue and Stalker as he reaches Beachhead.

After a few moments of "speaking" with Snake-Eyes, Beachhead engages in the first radio contact since the explosion of the Hovercraft. "Status Orange with a one wounded. We're moving towards the Rally Point, ETA in Fifteen mikes!"

"Roger. Who is the casualty? Over." asks Flint.

"Stalker. I've taken command of the unit on the ground." Beachhead barks into his comms piece.

"Understood, we'll move in to provide support for your movement." responds Flint.

"Negative! You'll only give our position away if there are any unfriendlies here! Maintain a holding pattern, until we approach. Provide support when notified!"

"Roger that." Flint wanted to remind Beachhead of who was about to take command in the field, but chose to save it until they were face to face. Getting face-to-face was the important thing, and he reminded himself of that.

Zartan left the presence of Firely as the explosions placed upon the hovercraft were detonated. Zartan's mission was complete, so too was Firefly's. At least, to this point it was. Tele-vipers have communicated to the Cobra saboteur that the Joes placed a jam on their signals, but were able to pick up a form of Morse code, before they lost track of the Joes communications.

Firefly knew the Silent Ninja was probably using the Morse to communicate with the other Joes , and why is not of his concern now. He has a next meeting to attend, and a next contract to set up. Whatever is left for the Joes in this Jungle, it is up to the Cobra forces implemented in the jungle to take care of. With the glow of his work at his back in that Jungle, Firefly disappears into the darkness. He can hear aircraft off in the distance.

Recondo is point man on the lead patrol of the Joe movement to the Rally Point for extraction. Beachhead is in the middle of the formation. Snake-Eyes provides the rear security of the formation, with the rescue team provided for Stalker just to the front of him. The unit is moving rapidly through the Jungle but at a cautioned pace. Their movement to this point was to head due north, along the river's path, but moving further away from the river as they moved. Everyone assumes a defensive position facing the river, just minutes from the Rally Point because gunfire erupts off in the distance, about half a click between their position and the banks of the river. It is at this moment, Beachhead calls in for the support they're about to need from Flint.


End file.
